Meter reading system



June 4, 1968 A. J. LITTLE 3,387,267

METER READING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 7 1964 Ffa. 3. y wij @yy/MM /4//of/7ey United States Patent() l 3,387,267 METER READING SYSTEM Arthur J. Little, Springtield,.lll., assigner to Stewart- Warner Corporation, Chicago, AIll., a corporation of Virginia Filed Aug. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 388,099

6 Claims. (Cl. 340-150) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The followingspeciication describes a portable arrangement for reading a utility meter from a remote position. The axially spaced dials `of the meter each have an associated plurality of seriesuof protuberances or marks with each mark in a series spaced axially in accordance with binary code corresponding to av respective decimal digit. Each seriesis positioned circumferentially so that one series corresponding to the associated dial reading can be scanned by axially movable contacts or pick up device to transmit a signal corresponding to each scanned marking over a wire to the remote position from which power is supplied to move the contacts. A silicon controlled rectifier circuit at the remote location and simple registration of the signals minimizesthe power requirements.

This invention relates to telemetering and more particularly to apparatus particularly suited for remotely reading -utility meters or the like.

Utility companies have a need for means of improving their present system of reading meters. Most of the inherent disadvantages of the present system lie in the necessity for having the meter reader enter the building Where the meter is located. In many cases this causes an undesirable disturbance to the customer and is often quite time consuming for the meter reader. The p-roblem of skips where the customer is not at home causes the companies a good deal of trouble and expense. Errors by the meter readers also cause extra expense and harm customer good will.

These and other problems create the need for meter reading means which simplify the meter reading function allowing it to be done at a location outside of the building. A readingmeans which eliminates the sensory observation of the reader reduces the possibility of error.

An ideal system would be one in which all the utility meters are automatically readable at a central location perhaps at theutility building. It would of course be an'exorbitant, if not prohibitive, expense to initiate such a program, however, unless inexpensive means attachable to present meters are employed.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a system for reading utility meters, or the like, which may be read from a remote location.

It isalso an` object of this invention to provide a system for reading meters which would eliminate, or drastically reduce, the possibility of errors by a meter reader.

Another object of this invention is to provide a system for remotely reading meters which employs means adaptable to presently existing meters preferably at the site of the meter without requiring the removal of the meter.

A further object of this invention is to provide a remote meter reading system that has the capability of being used individually or becoming part of an overall system or any intermediate sized system in the building toward the overall system.

Also, an object of this invention is to provide a remote meter reading system in which the cost per metering a point is justifiably less than the employment of human meter readers.

3,387,267 Patented `une 4, 1968 Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon a further reading of the speciiication especially when taken in view of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a diagram, in somewhat schematic form, of the mechanical elements of a system embodying the teachings of this invention; 1: IFIG. Z is an end view of the belt of sprocket shown in FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram ofthe electrical apparatus utilized in the remote meter reading system of FIG. l; and 4 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one type of digit wheel adapted to be driven directly with a meter dial.

Briefly, a remote meter reading system embodying the teachings of this invention comprises means driven by a utility meter or the like including a set of odometer dials each having physical features such as protuberances representative of a set of numerals. Means such as belt driven contacts scan across the odometer dials responsive to a driving signal from the remote location. The scanning means cause electrical fiuctuations which operate a registering -device at the remote location in accordance with the reading of the meter.

Reference is now made to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 for a more detailed description of a device of a system embodying the teachings of this invention. Therein is shown a utility meter 10 to measure, for example, gas, water or electric usage, which is normally located within a building. These meters usually have a set of decimal integrating meter dials 12a through 12g. This type of dial indicator is well known in the utility meter art with each significant digit of the quantity being measured represented in descending order from dial 12a- 12g. The torque required to drive the meter is applied to the lowest significant digit dial 12g and the torque is transferred to each ascending decimal dial by means of pinions 14a-14j.

Assuming that the utility company is interested only in the readings of the four highest digit dials 12a-12d, a cam 16 is attached to the fifth highest dial 12e. As the cam 16 rotates with the dial 12e, it steps a ratchet wheel 18 through ratchet lever and spring means 20 once for each rotation of the dial 12e. The ratchet wheel 18 is attached to the lowest digit wheel 22d of a four wheel odometer 22. Thus, the wheel 22d will make one revolution for every revolution of the lowest desired significant digit dial 12d. The -wheel 22C of the odometer is geared to the low digit wheel 22d so that it will make one step, or one tenth of a revolution, for every revolution of the wheel 22d and will correspond to the revolutions of the second lowest significant digit dial 12e of the meter. The wheel 22b is geared to the wheel 22e and Wheel 22a is geared to the wheel 22b so that they correspond, respectively, to the meter digit dials 12b and 12a.

Instead of printed numerals about the periphery of the odometer wheels 22a through d, a series of protuberances 24 are provided in a code arrangement. The numbers represented by the code on each of the wheels 22 are arranged consecutively about the periphery. The wheels, shown in FIG. 1 each carry the numbers zero through nine in a binary code arrangement. Thus, as may be seen in FIG. l the binary representation of numbers 0-5 are seen on odometer wheel 22a and the binary representation of numbers 6-9, 0 and 1 are seen in wheel 22d.

A scan of the bumps along a line parallel to the axis of the odometer wheels 22 tells the position of each of the odometer wheels and hence the number of revolutions of each wheel from a given reference such as the last meter reading. A set of contacts 26 carried by a belt 28 traveling along a linear path 30a adjacent the periphery of the wheels 22 is adapted to engage each protuberance therealong. A plate 38 with a series of protuberances 40 is positioned adjacent the linear path 30b of the belt 28. The protuberances 40 are also arranged in a binary code corresponding to respective decimal in digits so that the contacts 26 passing thereby are operated in accordance with a number identifying the particular meter being read.

The belt 28 is preferably driven by a ratchet wheel 32 in cooperation with a ratchet arm mechanism 34 actuated by a solenoid 36. The solenoid 36 is energized in a manner to be hereinafter set forth. The mechanism as shown in FIG. 1 is designed to step in a clockwise direction thirty-eight times from a starting point indicated A along the path adjacent the righthand belt sprocket 42 for a complete reading of the identifying number and meter reading.

If the solenoid 36 is pulsed 38 times the contacts 26 will travel across the number plate 38 around ythe lefthand sprocket wheel 44, past the four odometer wheels 22a through d and back to position A. The contacts 26 will close responsive to each engagement with a protuberance 24, 40 along the belt path which will affect an electric circuit connected to brushes 46 engaging commutators 47 (FIG. 2) on the belt.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 of the drawings which shows in schematic form the electrical circuit for the meter reading apparatus. There is shown a female receptacle 50 and everything in the circuit 5'1 connected to it is located at the utility meter itself. All components in the circuit 53 connected to the male plug 52 are located at a position which is remote from the meter such as, for example, immediately outside the building or at a central reading location.

As may be seen, the solenoid 36 which drives the belt 28 is connected directly to the female receptacle 50|. The contacts 26 are series connected with brushes 46 and resistor 54 across the solenoid 36 and receptacle 50.

The circuit 53 at the remote location comprises a power source 56 series connectable across the male plug 52 with resistor S8 and make contacts 60 operable by a cam 62. A silicon controlled rectifier 64 has its anode 65 connected to the junction 57 between the positive terminal of power supply 56 and one end of resistor 58. The gate `66 of the silicon controlled rectifier is connected through resistor 70 to the junction 69 between the other end of resistor 58 and plug 52. A load 71 which might take the form of a number indica-tor or an IBM card punch is connected at one end to the cathode 72 of the silicon con- -trolled rectifier 64 and at its other end to another set of make contacts 74 operable by the cam 62.

The circuits 51 and 53 function to record the meter readings as follows. The meter reader inserts plug 52 in the receptacle 50 and causes the cam to rotate either by a hand crank or suitable motor (not shown). In the present case the cam 62 is operated through 38 revolutions for one reading of the meterand each revolution of the cam 62 operates the belt 28 one step. As the cam 62 rotates the first lobe 80 closes contacts 60 to connect the power source 56 to the solenoid 36 through a circuit from the positive terminal through junction 57, Iresistor 58, junction 69, plug 52, receptacles 50, conductor 82, solenoid 36, conductor 84, receptacle 50, plug 52, conductor 76, contacts 60 and conductor 87. Each time contacts 60 close, the magnet 36 energizes and the belt is caused to advance one step.

It may be seen that the condition of contacts 26 determines the amount of current flowing from the power source 56 in the remote unit 53 since they provide a parallel circuit about the solenoid 36. That is, if the contacts are closed a Vgreater current flows through resistor 58 in the remote unit 53 which is sensed by Ithe gate 66 of the silicon controlled rectifier 64. The increased current signal at the gate 66 will trigger the silicon controlled rectifier into conduction through the load 71 as soon as the second cam lobe 82 closes contacts 74. This circuit leads from the positive terminal of power supply 56, through anode 65 and cathode 72 of the silicon controlled rectifier 64, load paths of the belt, the current passing through resistor 58 is insuicient to gate the silicon controlled rectifier 64 and no current passes through the load register 71 when the contacts 74 and 60 close.

As previously discussed it is desirable that the meter reading system have a capability of being used individually or of becoming part of an overall system which may be naturally developed as economics dictate. As a first step in the establishment of an overall system the mechanical Ameans shown in FIG. l and the meter circuit means 51 is installed in those meters where skips are prevalent. `The receptacle 50 is located at the exterior of the building so as to be readily accessible even though the occupants of the building are not present.

The unit 53 is initially a portable device carried by a meter reader with the plug 52 insertable in the receptacle 5t)y at the building exterior. The cam 62 is operated through one revolution by the meter reader with the load register indicating the meter number and the meter reading. In this case the load register takes the form of a small decimal type of integrating register from which the meter reader could transcribe the reading. As soon as enough meters contain the device, however, the load might take the form of a recording head which would mark inexpensive reusable magnetic tape with the meter readings. 'This tape would be fed into machines at the central oice where the complete billing procedure would be automatic.

By a program of putting the apparatus on new meters and adding it to older ones, whole neighborhoods would eventually be covered, and neighborhood reading centers might be set up. By using gas or water pipes as ground connection, one conductor from each meter to the neigh` borhood center would suffice. By incorporating diodes at the meters one conductor could be made to serve two meters. At first the meter reader would probably visit these neighborhood centers. Then, as more neighborhood centers are set up, they could be wired to substations serving the whole section of a city. Ultimately these substations would be wired t0 a central station and the whole procedure of meter reading would be completely automatic. The whole conversion would be accomplished in simple steps taken as scheduling permits. At no point would service be interrupted and each step would be economically `feasible in itself.

In FIGURE 4, a digit wheel is illustrated. The digit wheel 110 is similar in purpose to digit wheels 22a-22d in that it carries a series of protuberances 112 arranged in rows with the number of protuberances in each row corresponding to a binary translation of the corresponding decimal position of the wheel 110. The protuberances 112 are arranged to operate signal or switch elements 114 and 116 into engagement a number of times as the switch elements 114 and 116 are carried past the protuberances for extending electrical connections in a manner similar to that explained previously for protuberances 24 and contacts 26.

The digit wheel 110, however, is arranged to be driven in any well known manner directly with the meter dials such as by direct coupling or gearing with the shaft of one of the dials. For example, four digit wheels such as 110 may be arranged to be driven in tandem from the shaft of dial 12C or they may be individually driven from different shafts. In any event with a direct drive, the meter dials and the shafts including the wheels 110 may be positioned so that the switch elements 114 and 116 are aligned intermediate two different rows of protuberances 112 at the time switch elements 114 and 116 are lstepped past the protuberances. j

In order to ensure that the switch elements 114 and 116 are operated by a specific row of protuberances, a wall or partition 120 is provided on each digit wheel 110 between each row of protuberances. Thus, if the switch element 114, which may include an elongate wire leg 122 for engaging the protuberances, is being carried towards a digit wheel 11i) whose protuberances are aligned on opposite sides thereof, the wall 120 will engage the leg 122 forcing the leg 122 to one side or the other of the wall 120. This ensures that the switch elements 114 and 116 are properly operated by one row of protuberances 112. The switch elements 114 and 116 may be operated in accordance with a digit setting representing, for example, one higher digit than the actual digit; however, compensation for this is automatically provided on a succeeding reading of the digit wheel setting.

While there has been shown a preferred embodiment including the teachings of this invention, it is obvious that many modifications and additions may be made thereto without materially deviating from the scope of the invention. It is thus intended to `be bound only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for reading a meter of the decimal integrating type having a separate dial for each signiticant digit of the number represented by the meter comprising an odometer having a wheel for each desired digit to be read, means driven by the meter dial driving the lowest desired signicant digit dial, yfor driving said odometer, each of said odometer wheels having protuberances located in spaced axial positions arranged in a sequence forming a binary code corresponding to a respective one of the decimal digits 0-9 with each sequence spaced circumferentially about the periphery of the respective wheel, an endless -belt travelling along a path parallel to the axis of and adjacent to the periphery of said odometer wheels, means including an electromagnet for driving said belt along said path, a pair of wires connected to said electromagnet and extending to a remote position, means at said remote position for intermittently energizing said electromagnet over said wires to drive said belt, and means including a set of contacts carried by said belt adjacent one sequence for each wheel with each contact of said set connected to a respective one of said wires and controlled sequentially by each protuberance in each said one sequence of protuberances in response to the driving of said belt by said electromagnet for transmitting a signal corresponding to each protuberance in a respective one sequence over one of said wires for registering a respective digit for each wheel at said remote position.

2. A system for reading a meter of the decimal integrating type having a separate dial for each signicant digit of the number represented by the meter comprising an odometer having a wheel for each desired digit to be read, means driven by the meter dial driving the lowest desired significant digit dial for driving said odometer, each of said odometer wheels having protuberances located in spaced axial positions arranged in a sequence forming a binary code corresponding to a respective decimal digit with each sequence spaced circumferentially about the periphery of the respective wheel, an endless belttravelling along a path having two linear portions parallel to the axis of said odometer, one linear portion being adjacent to the periphery of said odometer wheels, means including an electromagnet for driving said belt along said path, a pair of wires connected to said electromagnet and extending to a remote position, means at said remote position for intermittently energizing said electromagnet over said wires to drive said belt, and means including a set of contacts carried by said belt adjacent one sequence for each wheel with each contact of said set connected to a respective one of said wires and controlled sequentially by each protuberance in each said one sequence of protuberances in response to the driving of said belt by said electromagnet for transmitting a signal corresponding to each protuberance in a respective one sequence over one of said wires for registering a respective digit for each wheel at said remote position.

3. A system for remotely reading a meter of the decimal integrating type having a separate dial for each signiiicant digit of the number represented by the meter, comprising an odometer having a wheel for each desired digit to be read, a cam mechanically driven by the meter dial driving the lowest desired significant digit dial7 ratchet means operated by said cam for driving said odometer, each of said odometer wheels having protuberances located in spaced axial positions arranged in a sequence forming a binary code corresponding to a respective one of the decimal digits 0 9 with each sequence spaced circumferentially about the periphery of the respective wheel, a nurnber plate having protuberances thereon representing a vbinarily coded number of at least one digit for identifying the meter, an endless belt travelling along a path having two linear portions parallel to the axis of the odometer, one linear portion of the belt being adjacent to the periphery of said odometer wheels, and the other linear portion being adjacent the protuberances on said number plate, a set of normally open contacts carried by said belt operable to close responsive to engagement with each protuberance adjacent said linear path portions, means including a solenoid and a ratchet mechanism for driving said belt, a parallel connection for said solenoid and contacts, two wires only extending from said parallel connection to a remote position, an electric power source at said remote position, a resistor and a second set of normally open contacts series connected to one of said wires at said remote position, a silicon controlled rectifier having a cathode and anode and a gate, means connecting said anode and gate across said resistor, digit registering means, a third set of normally open contacts serially connecting said digit registering means with said anode and cathode across said power source, and means including a cam for pulsing said second and third sets of normally open contacts to advance said lirst set ot contacts past said number plate and said odometer wheels for transmitting sequential signals to said gate corresponding to each sequence of protuberances.

4. 1n a system for remotely reading a utility meter indicating any one ot a plurality of decimal digits for each of a plurality of digit orders to represent utility usage, means associated with said meter including a plurality ot code bits for each digit order with each plurality of code bits arranged to correspond to a respective decimal digit indicated by said meter in each digit order, a portable source of potential at a position remote from said meter, scanning means adjacent said code bits operable for sequentially scanning each code bit corresponding to each decimal digit indicated by said meter for providing a signal individually corresponding to each scanned code bit, driving means adjacent said scanning means operated once in response to each intermittent transmission of a potential from said source to said driving means for operating said scanning means once for each transmission to scan each said corresponding code bit in sequence for controlling each transmitted potential to provide said signal individually corresponding to each scanned code bit, a pair of wires extending from said source to both said driving means and said scanning means for transmitting each potential to said driving means and said scanning means and for transmitting each signal to said remote position, means at said remote position operable for intermittently interconnecting one of said wires and source for intermittently transmitting said potential to said scanning means for operating said scanning means to scan each of said code bits in sequence for providing said signals in sequence, registration means at said remote position operable by said source, and enabling means at said remote position operable by each of said signals for enabling said registration means to be operated by said source for registering each signal.

5. The system claimed in claim 4 in which said enabling means comprises a silicon controlled rectifier having an anode, cathode and gate circuit with said gate circuit connected to a selected one of said pair of wires, and means for connecting said anode and cathode across said source in synchronism with the interconnection of said source with said one wire.

6. In the system claimed in claim 4 in which said code bits are each moved in accordance with said utility usage a distance dependent on said utility usage and said scanning means is moved along a straight line, means operable in response to the operation of said scanning means for aligning the code bits corresponding to one of two decimal digits adjacent to said straight line with said straight line.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l1,897,657 2/1933 Yates 340-204 v1,965,121 7/1934 Kardoff 340-357 OTHER REFERENCES Constant, P., Recording Flow Meter Readings, Electronic Industries, pages 156-159, May 1961.

JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner.

NEIL C. READ, Examiner.

15 A. J. KASPER, Assistant Examiner. 

